John Heidt

If you're excessively monlingual, you might not know that Pollo Del Mar translates to "chicken of the sea." I like it just for that. But I like it for other reasons, too.

The band bases it sound in surf music, but they do so much more. There is no "formula" at all. They're a very unique-sounding unit that mixes all genres of music into a melting pot of sound. For instance, the menacing bass and elastic guitar of "Annabelle Lee" is far more imaginative than most surf bands today. They are also not afraid to funk up the mix ("Cutlass Supreme"). If you stick around long enough, you'll hear some jazzy surf (does that really exist?) on "Consuela's Revenge." For plain old nasty rock, check out "Rt. 666." and their "Apache '99" takes the original's melody and turns the classic into a quiet, quirky mood piece. Throughout the album, the guitars of Jono Jones and Ferenc Dobronyi propel things along with imagination and verve. If you're a fan of good instrumental music, check this one out. Recommended.